Torrevieja and the Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament #2 represents the third time Spain have found themselves in the last-chance competition to grab a ticket to an Olympic Games – and the third time they will play it on home soil.

It also represents the third time they will face Argentina for a spot in an Olympics with the South Americans joined by Czechia and Netherlands, the quartet of teams battling for one of the two spots available in the southern Spanish town through to Paris 2024.

When the Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament groups were confirmed last December, everyone connected with handball in Argentina must have thought history was repeating.

In their two previous Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament appearances, Argentina travelled to Spain both times in pursuit of the golden ticket – first to Guadalajara for a place at London 2012 and then to Liria in 2021, for the delayed Tokyo 2020.

2024 represents the closest the Czechia women’s national handball team have ever come to competing in an Olympic Games.

And with a history-equalling high rank at the 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship last year now could be the best time to become Olympians.

Since cementing their place at the top table of global handball, the Netherlands’ women’s handball team have set their sights high. 

IHF World Championship gold (2019), silver (2015) and bronze (2017) and EHF European Championship silver (2016) and bronze (2018) plus two, consecutive top five finishes at the Olympic Games – 4th (2016) and 5th (2020) have seen them become one of the most feared teams around.

Japan are one of the non-European sides with the largest growth over the past few years, as the hosting of the 2019 IHF Women’s World Championship – where the Asian side finished 10th – boosting the interest and the quality in the team. Now, Japan are looking to secure back-to-back appearances at the Olympic Games, after they ended a 44-year wait at Tokyo 2020.

Hungary have been one of the most consistent teams when it comes to the Olympic Games, with three medals – bronze at Montreal 1976 and at Atlanta 1996 and silver at Sydney 2000 – and no finish outside of the top 10, with the seventh place at Tokyo 2020 being the worst finish in seven appearances.

Sweden have one of the best appearance streaks at the Olympic Games, as they are now trying to secure their fifth qualification in a row in the competition, as they are favourites in the Olympic Qualification Tournament #1, where they will face hosts Hungary, Cameroon and Japan.